Universalism is the belief that all people will (eventually) be saved. This means that punishment after death may either not exist or will not be eternal.

Universalism has been considered a heresy in the Roman Catholic Church for over 1000 years. However, in a recent interview, Pope Francis said he hopes that “hell is empty,” a statement that was interpreted as a subtle endorsement of universalism.

This claim resolves as YES if universalism or de facto universalism becomes official Roman Catholic doctrine before 2040. Criteria will be official Vatican documents. The best confirmation will come from an official edit to the approved catechism.